1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of remote-control devices, and more particularly to hand-held radio remote control units for pools and spas.
2. Background
A spa generally includes the following components: (1) a time clock; (2) a circulation pump; (3) a heater; (4) a thermostat; (5) a high- temperature limit device for safety; (6) an air blower or bubbler; (7) a light; and (8) an additional pump for jets used for hydro-massage. Spa owners typically do not keep their spas heated twenty-four hours per day, choosing instead to heat the spa only for use so as to minimize energy costs. Hence, the heater is equipped with an on/off switch and an accompanying thermostat. The time clock serves to operate the circulation pump for a few hours each day to keep the spa clean.
A conventional method by which an owner can prepare the spa for use requires the steps of going to the equipment area and throwing a toggle switch to the “on” position to bypass the timeclock, which turns on the pump. The owner must then switch the heater to the “on” position and adjust the thermostat to the desired temperature. There follows a waiting period for an unspecified amount of time for the spa to reach the desired temperature. If the water is unheated at the start of the process and the ambient temperature is low, the time required to heat the water can be quite long.
Periodically, the owner must either go to the heater to determine whether the heater is still on, i.e., that the water in the spa is not yet heated to the thermost at setting, or go to a fixed thermometer to check the temperature. To avoid having to go outside to the spa and the heater, the owner typically installs a hard-wired digital thermometer and thermostat control in a display box that is mounted to a wall inside the home. Such an instrument, however, is immobile, so that it cannot be carried around to check the temperature or give the status of any of the spa components. This type of unit is also relatively expensive. The owner would generally not have the option of installing several such devices throughout the home for more convenient monitoring. Additionally, such units are difficult to secure to prevent access by children. Moreover, a hard-wired device mandates that a conduit be run underground from an interior wall of the home to the outdoor spa. If added after the home is constructed, this may involve trenching and cutting through concrete walls of the home, requiring extensive and costly materials and labor in addition to inspections for compliance with building codes.
For the foregoing reasons it would be desirable for spa owners to use a remote-control unit to turn the spa on or off and to receive information on water temperature and working status of spa components. However, conventional remote-control devices for pools or spas do not monitor operating status. Thus, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive, hand-held device that enables a user to communicate bidirectionally with the spa from anywhere in the home so as to both control necessary operating functions and obtain status information regarding operating parameters.